


Freedom (Pitch Perfect One-Shots)

by shelley_beans



Category: Beca Mitchell/Chloe Beale - Fandom, Beca/Chloe - Fandom, Jessica Smith/Ashley Jones, Jessica/Ashley - Fandom, Jessley - Fandom, Pitch Perfect (Movies), bechloe - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Pitch Perfect - Freeform, Pitch Perfect 2, Pitch Perfect 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-09 17:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15272667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelley_beans/pseuds/shelley_beans
Summary: "It's the end of the Bellas as a group, but the beginning of the Bellas as a family."-Brittany SnowA diverse collection of one-shot stories involving all of the beloved characters from the Pitch Perfect franchise. In these, we explore the ups and downs of BeChloe, the never-talked-about-literally-been-here-the-whole-time Jessley duo, and the infamous-yet-famous family we've been following since 2012. These raging pile of estrogen filled stories will leave your stan heart and real heart full. Beware, although these short snippets don't have acapella blasting out of them, there could be a slight tendency to sing along.(These are also on Wattpad under the username thekatysmeow if that's more your style!)





	1. Jesse's Girl

Chloe Beale knew the exact time Beca Mitchell showered every day. Every day. She wasn't a stalker, it was more of a accident the first time around. But man, if first impressions weren't important...

She entered the women's shower room in Baker Hall, carefully scoping the bland ivory walls and peeking under shower curtains at the 90's-esque floors. Tuesdays at 2 o'clock was when most students schedule their classes. But to Chloe's advantage, Beca had not. The tall woman took the third shower to the right. The fourth one was was reserved for the mysterious tattooed woman she had her eyes set on since she heard her sing three weeks ago. Five feet away and only a thin sheet of pearly plastic between her and that voice that made Chloe's heart do cartwheels in her ribcage.

Chloe, being the buoyant woman she was, had a nick for experimentation. Well, she had to if getting in veterinary school was on the horizon. However, these instances didn't equal just scientific reasoning. Discussing sexuality wasn't a taboo at this day and age. But for Chloe, her bisexuaityl wasn't really something she was an open book about.

Shutting the curtain closed behind her, Chloe set her little bucket of shower stuff down on the slippery floor beneath. Caddies weren't normally accessorized with the older woman's bathroom attire, mostly because her bathroom wasn't in this dorm hall. She lived a couple of blocks down at the Barden Bella household, but she had showered here before for one of her "spring flings". Meaning, the man she was with lasted a couple of days. She had only dated three guys in her lifetime, and each time she felt absolutely nothing.

Disrobing herself, Chloe craned the faucet to the hottest setting so that the whole shower room would steam up, making the air a little more comfortable. As if there was more stuff covering her and Beca up, leaving room only for them to bond. Today was the day.

The water soaked her velvety red hair and she massaged her scalp. Should be any time now. She knew exactly how this whole shower scene would play out. The plan was all organized in her head. Today was the day she was going to wow Beca Mitchell.

Humid condensation surrounded her as the squeak of a door sounded from down the hall. There was shuffling from shower shoes, but no tune. Not even a hum could be heard. Chloe folded herself over only to find a floor empty. A squeak and roar of a faucet caused her to snap upright. Her mind tossed and turned. If it wasn't Beca, who the hell was showering at this time of day?

Saying her heart was shattered was a bit of an overstatement, but Chloe felt as if all hope was lost. And then, that's when she just decided to sing,

"Jessie is a friend, yeah

I know he's been a good friend of mine

But lately something's changed that ain't hard to define

Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine."

Funny, her song of choice, because Beca Mitchell actually was Jesse's girl. The only reason Chloe knew, she had told her best friend, Aubrey, about her little shower crush.

Aubrey, the beach-blonde acapella singer, was a hard-headed, military-raised woman and guarded Chloe with her life. Once Chloe had mentioned that she really could get with guys and girls, Aubrey was intrigued. She's the only one who was aware of Chloe's sexuality, so naturally the redhead went to her with the situation a few weeks back when it first happened.

"Baker Hall? Which floor?" Aubrey questioned.

Chloe was taken back by her friend's interest, "Uh, well Jordan lived on the fifth floor but all of those showers were full, so we went downstairs."

"So you and Jordan showered on the fourth floor?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah?" Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, "Bree, how do you know all of this?"

Aubrey did know a lot of people on campus. Chloe thought she was a social butterfly, but Aubrey made her realize that she was merely a caterpillar.

"Jesse Swanson, from the Treblemakers. His girlfriend lives in Baker." Aubrey informed.

Chloe hesitated, "Aubs, I don't think it's the same-"

"Does she have tattoos on her back?" she interrupted, "ear monstrosities?"

"Yes..." Chloe drew out.

Aubrey was pleasantly shocked as she fit all of the pieces of the puzzle together to gain the bigger picture.

"I can't believe it," Aubrey stated, "You have a crush on Beca effin' Mitchell."

Beca Mitchell. Finally, Chloe had a name to match the face. Not to mention, a voice to tie it all together. Even though it was Beca who initially began this lovestruck passion, Chloe knew that she had to reciprocate the bathroom chorus. So that's why, when she assumed that Beca wasn't the one who had just walked into the shower room, she sang,

And she's watching him with those eyes

And she's loving him with that body, I just know it

Yeah 'n' he's holding her in his arms late, late at night

On the other side of the curtain, rattles of conditioning bottles suddenly ceased, but Chloe just figured it was one of two things: she had impressed this person with her drop-dead gorgeous singing voice, or the other showeree was just confused as to why anyone could possibly have the confidence to belt out a song in a public vicinity.

"You know

I wish that I had Jessie's girl

I wish that I had Jessie's girl

Where can I find a woman like that."

A rapid breeze splashed Chloe's back as she finished the chorus of the song. Quickly reversing her stance, Chloe found the petite, tattooed beauty she had hoped she'd find. Beca Mitchell stood before her, uncovered and brows raised. Chloe's pupils darted everywhere, desperately trying not to travel South.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry that was super abrupt." Beca panicked, shielding her naked body with the shower curtain.

Chloe smirked. Like clockwork.

"No, no it's fine." Chloe used her adorably-seductive tone, "I mean I'm sorry I didn't think anyone else was in here."

Beca narrowed her eyes, causing Chloe's to widen. An inner intuition jabbed at the redhead, saying that Beca Mitchell knew something that Chloe Beale did not.

"You sure about that, hot shot?" Beca challenged.

Chloe did what she did best in these situations and played dumb. She was definitely not about to blow her plan just because she was head over heels for this girl.

"Excuse me?" Chloe tried.

The taller woman knew that as long as Beca didn't figure out Chloe's backstory of being here, she could play this off as just a casual coincidence.

Beca Mitchell sarcastically snickered, "You're Chloe Beale, right? Co-captain of the Barden Bellas?"

Shit.

"Uh, yeah." she replied. It wasn't a secret that people knew who Chloe was, the Bellas were a classic staple at Barden. There was only one way Chloe could shake this short batch of beauty. Play her at her own game.

"And you're Beca Mitchell, right?" Chloe asked.

Beca, caught completely off-guard leaned back against the wall. Beca wasn't really a person that people recognized. Which was okay for her, because she never enjoyed attention. Since she was younger, Beca was never a first priority or even a second. Any time her family ever gave her attention was when her step-mother yelled at her for being a sour pus about her father re-marrying. Thus, learning to conform to that lifestyle and lay low as much as possible.

"Yeah, but there's literally no way you, popular and bubbly Chloe Beale, would know that." Beca spat, "How do you know that?"

"Jesse Swanson from the Treblemakers. He's your boyfriend, isn't he?" Chloe asked.

Right. Beca remembered that all of the aca-nerds were usually in close quarters with each other. So anyone in acapella at Barden knew everyone.

Beca's arms fell to her sides and sucked her lips into her mouth.

"Was..." she trailed, "He was my boyfriend."

Immediately, Chloe regretted mentioning Jesse to Beca. Hell, she had first spoken to this girl today and already she was breaking boundaries. But then again, Beca threw any concept of "boundaries" out the window when she barged into her shower.

"Was?" Chloe investigated, still curious.

"Yeah...I mean I broke up with him." Beca replied, "So it's not like I was thrown under the bus or anything."

"Ah," the other woman understood.

Splashes of water from the shower occupied the otherwise silent air. As much as she tried not to, Chloe's eyes explored Beca's body in quick pulses. It was almost intuitive. Everything about her was small: her hands, her mouth, her breasts. Beca Mitchell was tiny, and Chloe found that nothing short of cute. Realizing what she was doing, Chloe grasped that this hadn't been going well and had made the situation more awkward than it was.

"Well," Chloe said, starting to back up, "I'll leave you to your shower-"

"It was for a really dumb reason, too." Beca continued.

Chloe was taken back at the fact that the younger woman kept opening up to her, yet intrigued to figure out what more Beca had to offer.

"Hey, from experience, I know that you're allowed to break up with someone if it doesn't feel right." Chloe laid a gentle hand on Beca's arm.

The two women quickly glanced at the gesture. Chloe's inner anxiety started to build. She internally scolded herself for being so damn empathetic. That feeling, however, vanished fast when she noticed Beca's lips forming a smile.

"That's the thing," those lips proceeded, "It didn't feel right with him, or frankly any guy I've ever been with."

Chloe could feel her pupils dilating. Holy shit. Was Beca Mitchell gay? She briskly took her hand off of Beca's shoulder. If that was the case, Beca being gay, bisexual, whatever, then maybe she wouldn't think that Chloe showering at the same time as her everyday wasn't as weird as it looked.

"Yeah, I know the feeling." Chloe contributed.

"Is that why you said, 'from experience'?" Beca questioned.

Chloe chewed at her bottom lip, "Yeah...I mean there were tiny sparks, but not enough to start a fire, you know?"

"Yes! Finally someone who gets it." Beca laughed, "Damn, Beale if I didn't know any better I'd assume you were bisexual."

Chloe's eyes traveled to the floor, the ceiling, then back to Beca.

"Actually..." she trailed.

God, this is too far, Chloe thought.

"No way," Beca was hesitant, but comfortable with the redhead. After all, they were standing in front of each other completely nude. "Me too." she replied.

"Really?" as if Chloe didn't already suspect that.

Beca nodded in response, "I mean, I always kind of knew. I was just too scared to admit it. Even to myself, I guess"

A sneer look snuck across Chloe's face. This was the perfect time to reveal to this little brunette beauty the reason why they were talking to each other in the Baker Hall shower room.

"The same reason why you were too scared to sing when you walked in here today too, hm?" Chloe tried.

"Nah," Beca, "After the second time you followed me in here, I kinda got used to it. Boosted my confidence, actually."

Shock ran through Chloe's system. Beca knew that she purposely showered in Baker? Not that she really could mind. I mean, Beca was a dreamboat in her eyes. But, just how? How did she know?

"Uh," Chloe desperately looked for a way to save herself, "I didn't-...I mean-"

"Oh c'mon, Beale. Literally nobody showers on this floor in Baker at 2pm on a Tuesday...on purpose."

"But you-" Chloe struggled, "you do that."

"If I'm honest with you, ever since I caught glimpse at you with that other guy, I couldn't stop thinking about you." Beca admitted, "So, I came down here everyday to shower. Hoping that just maybe I'd get lucky enough to see you again."

Her cheeks flushed a rose pink noticing how Beca was so chill about the whole entire fiasco. This whole entire time Chloe thought she was chasing Beca, but to her surprise, it went both ways.

Chloe questioned, "So you mean-"

"Yep," Beca pointed to the ceiling, "I live on fifth floor."

"But...why?" she asked.

"Eh," Beca casually said, "I've got a thing for redheads."

Chloe, being amazed, yet amused giggled. Not only had she fallen for this girl's voice, but now she was falling for all of her. Thanks to the shower, she meant all of her.

"You've got a nice voice, yourself, you know." Beca complimented, looking longingly into Chloe's orbs of ocean.

There was enormous amounts of romantic tension between both women that someone could reach out and literally feel it in the air. Chloe and Beca both understood that the situation they were in was indeed something that should make the both of them uncomfortable. Not in the fact that they were attracted to the respective sex, but before eight minutes ago, they were just mere strangers. That's the funny thing about love, it just falls out of nowhere and there's no other choice but to catch it.

Chloe straightened herself out and inched closer to Beca's body. Slowly, she began to sing the chorus of the song that brought Beca to her,

"You know

I wish that I had Jessie's girl,"

A lower form of that same chorus emerged from Beca's vocal chords as the two women made the empty shower room echo with harmony,

"I wish that I had Jessie's girl

Where can I find a woman like that."

Both girls gushed like idiots drunk in love. Chloe wasn't shocked about the fact that Beca could pick up a decent-sounding harmony at the drop of a hat. Frankly, Beca wasn't too setback herself. A hot, redheaded woman like her is bound to have one of those "wow" aspects. Hers being singing... and her smile... and her body. All of her.

Chloe pointed back to the running water, "After we both...uh...shower. Do you want to maybe...go grab a coffee or something?"

"Ah, and get to know each other in a more socially-acceptable setting?" Beca teased.

Chloe's giggled, "Then maybe afterwards you and I can go back to the Bellas house? Work on some more of those harmonies?"

Beca winked, "Well, you saw me naked, so..."

She did, Chloe really did. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in Chloe that she wanted to spend more than just a shower with Beca. That's just it, though. Maybe step number one was following her into the fourth floor of Baker, then step two was being barged in on while showering, then harmonizing with a girl she had barely met, but already loved. Then that last step was for Chloe Beale to have Jesse's girl.


	2. Fingerprints (Part 1)

If I had known then what I know now, I never would have kissed Ashley Jones. Sure, we were celebrating and what's a college party without alcohol, right? She was a drinker, Ashley. Even though we're practically identical, our festivity habits were polar opposite. On the rare occasions I agreed to let Ashley drag me out to another college-town blowout, we were in an unwritten, mutual agreement. My glass filled with water, and hers with vodka. But that's the thing. Intoxication wasn't the issue last night. It was me.

Only one day before was the party. I had no choice but to go to this one, because it was held where we lived. For two years I had known that I was in love with Ashley. All I wanted was to just spend every waking moment with her. We normally do, though. Thursday nights in with Ashley consisted of binging TV shows or baking some random recipe she saw on Pinterest. But tonight it was just a rumbling bass and a house full of strangers.

"Jessica? You okay in there?" Chloe's voice sounded from the other side of the bathroom door.

Scrunching my eyes, I threw my neck back in guilt. My knees were hugged to my chest, trying to make myself as small as possible. If I was small, maybe they wouldn't find me. Today was supposed to be her day. It's Chloe's birthday. It wasn't that I didn't want to celebrate my friend's 25th. Aubrey, just likes to throw Chloe these huge, extravagant parties for her. Parties that I hate going to. But I go for Ashley. She loves these things.

I exhaled, "I'm okay, Chlo. Just needed a breather."

"Can I come in?" she asked.

Unfolding my legs, I reached over to open the door. Chloe's big blue eyes barged in as soon as the knob turned.

"There you are!" she beamed, "I lapped the house almost twenty times. How long have you been in here?"

"Five minutes." I lied.

The redhead was plastered, she wouldn't be able to tell the difference between five minutes and five hours. Her pace stumbled towards me, grabbing both wrists to yank my secluded self off of the toilet. She paused when she spotted the water bottle on the basin.

Chloe scrunched her eyebrows, "The label's peeled. You're anxious about something."

Nobody could note my habits quite like Ashley, but Chloe was the slight exception. I sucked my lips into my mouth with a nod.

"C'mon, we've got to get you going." Chloe sighed, pulling me away from the safe space.

Our house wasn't completely full, but it was enough to have to weave our way through the hallway to get to the kitchen. Ashley stood by the island counter holding her cup underneath the tap as Aubrey topped it off.

"Ashley!" Chloe shouted, "I found her!"

My usually-drunk best friend looked at me with completely sober eyes. Examining what looked like a jug filled with straight up vodka turned out to be just a water refresher.

"Hey babe," Ashley addressed, handing me the cup she had just filled, then grabbing another for herself. "Thirsty?"

The water bottle remenese in the bathroom could vouch for me, but I accepted the beverage anyway. I took a small sip of the cup before inching closer to Ashley, who was already halfway done drinking hers.

"Ash, were you looking for me?" I questioned. Chloe had been looking for me and I wondered whether or not Ashley had noticed I was gone.

"What?" she shouted over the loud music.

I enunciated each word, "Were-you-looking- for-"

"Here," Ashley shook her head and clutched my hand, shoving me through the kitchen to the stairs. We both galloped up to head to our room, a Jason Derulo song gradually fading with each step. She turned around for a split second to flash a smile at me.

"We might be able to hear better up here," Ashley said, flipping on the switch. The pale lights barely illuminated the bland, ivory walls. She took the cup from my hand and set it down on the dresser next to hers.

Sighing, I plopped myself on my bed, "That's not a bad idea."

Ashley paused for a moment before she smirked, "This is like hell for you."

I snickered. She knew all too well.

"Combine that with a nightmare and you've got Jessica in a party atmosphere." I replied.

She paced the room before placing herself next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. Her eyes gazed at the lights that made the dark room seem like a galaxy. But amongst all of the stars, all I could see was her. The moon.

"Not going to lie," Ashley broke the silence, "this party is kind of lame."

"You're telling me." I remarked. Ashley laughed then went back to relaxing on my shoulder. My head gave in and I rested onto her.

"Hey Ash?" I asked, "Were you looking for me earlier?"

"Of course I was." Ashley sat up to face me.

That was a stupid question. But, my curiosity did get us alone in a semi-quiet place. The only noise you could hear were the terrible music and the terrible voices that sang along to it.

"I definitely could have found you on my own." Ashley continued. She laid a comforting hand on my thigh, "I know where you like to hide when you don't want to be found."

Bathrooms have always been my haven: blind dates gone wrong, my private headliner shower concerts, anger that I didn't want to take out on anyone else. It was a place where I felt small. Much more than I already did feel. But that's the thing, I was okay feeling small. Cramping myself in a water closet was when I wanted to disappear. I wanted to feel invisible from everyone in that house. Everyone but Ashley.

"What if I decided to go somewhere else?" I questioned.

"Easy," she replied, "you leave traces of yourself wherever you go. Little fingerprints."

Ashley's hand had moved to where mine was. A moment was spent tracing her palm before intertwining with her fingers. The touch so limited, yet so intimate.

"Fingerprints?" I pressed.

"Yeah," her free hand cupped my face, her thumb grazing my cheekbone, "I can feel the traces of you everywhere. Your fingerprints are in every corner of this house."

The thumping from the bass downstairs was replaced by the beat of my heart. Faster and faster it grew as the gap between us began to close.

"Little notes that you leave me on the counter, perfectly arranged pillows, the little pieces from the water bottle wrapper on the floor, fresh baked cookies when I get home. You're everywhere. Except for one spot." she whispered. Her hot breath radiated my mouth, traces of vodka stunned me. She had been drinking. But this is something I really wanted, and nothing could stop me now. Our lips connected for only an instant, her grassy eyes gazed right into me to search for my reaction. She pressed her lips back to me, again and again while I craved her lust. Almost instinctively, I wrapped my free arms around her waist and pulled her body as close to mine as possible. Ashley was everything I wanted. I took her lips back as mine to keep, and we just sat there frozen in time. This intimate radiation between Ashley and me. Until the opening of the door broke our loveline. We both jumped and Ashley instantly rose to her feet while he stood in the doorway. My pupils expanded at the sight.

"Todd." Ashley breathed, shielding me with her arm.

It was him. Her juvenile ex-boyfriend who she said would never be able to find her again was standing in our room. The man who stalked Ashley to the end of the earth when it was a "no" instead of a "yes". The man who ruined Ashley's life, and as I found out thirty seconds later, mine as well. Doctors told me that when Todd advanced, he slammed my head onto the floor and tried to cut off my breathing. Ashley ran out and screamed to go find help. I bled so much everyone thought I was going to die. He tried to kill me. Out of jealousy. They broke up over a year ago because Ashley said she was in love with someone else. Now that I know that person was me, I came to regret everything from that night. Todd knew Ashley was in love with me, there's no way he couldn't have. He was too aggressive to not get an answer out of her. This moment was revenge on me, and I didn't need the attack to tell me that. My vision blacked out so quickly that I could only remember the last thing I heard before he attacked me. One sentence. Ten words.

"Jessica Smith," he said, "you fell in love with the wrong girl."


	3. Fingerprints (Part 2)

Depressed, broad beeps came from my left. This room was nothing but four bland walls and a bed. The door was open so that any and all sound could enter into my ears. It made me shudder, what I heard. Screams from people to their loved ones, groans from the elderly, and exhausted nurses scrambling to get to patients. To lighten the mood, I compared this hospital to a water park. Bracelets you aren't allowed to take off, uncomfortable and revealing clothing, shitty food, and but no fun. Absolutely zero fun. Fourteen hours was too long in this vicinity. I was getting antsy.

There was a knock at the door, my heart immediately became synchronized with the rhythm of whoever was behind it. My hands pulled me upright as someone peered in, with only their brunette hair waving through the slot. Every muscle I had tightened no matter how horribly it hurt from the wounds at the thought of her being here.

With one foot in the door, a voice sounded from the other side.

"Do you want to see her or not?"

A sinking feeling heavied my chest. It was only Beca.

She lumbered in with a bubbly Chloe following behind her.

"Jess!" Chloe squealed as she ran over to throw her arms around me.

A weary smile surpassed any words and I did my best to return the embrace. My breath sharply sucked in as her elbow grazed over my torso. Just below my breasts was layered bandages covered by a medical gown. The thin fabric did not do me any justice as Chloe's slight touch made me tense. Beca pulled Chloe back a bit, seeing as I was in pain.

"Be careful otherwise you might actually love her to death." she pressed.

"Don't worry about it." my voice managed to let out a low giggle, "I'm really glad you guys came."

Even though I'm disappointed you're not her. I'm surprised that both Chloe and Beca stopped by. I thought they would be too busy re-blocking numbers since I'm going to be out for awhile. I can't blame the others for not showing up, though. If I was so invisible in the Bellas before I'm not really sure what lead me to believe that right now would be any different. People will say that nobody cares until you're dead or dying. Unless you're Jessica. Then people don't care at all.

"Are the rest of the girls okay?" I asked anyway.

"Well," Beca said, "they all feel a bit guilty that they hadn't done more."

If they did, wouldn't they have been here along with you two?

"And Ashley feels, like, super terrible about it all." Chloe blurted out.

Beca smacked Chloe's arm. "Dude, I told you not to bring that up." she hissed.

My mind had blurred up into the flashback of that night at the mention of her name. Her leading me to our bedroom, and the way she held onto my hand so tightly. Like if she were to let go she would never be able to get me back. Traces of alcohol in her breath that stung, but kept me begging for more. And that kiss. Deep, full of passion. Her lips wanting me and mine wanting her. It all came flooding back. Everything inside of me was a magnifying glass, focusing onto one thing. That one thing was Ashley.

"Jessica?" Chloe snapped her fingers in front of me.

"What?" I centered my attention back.

"I said we're going to head out now to let you sleep. We'll see you later, okay?" Chloe put a comforting hand on my shoulder, and pranced away.

Beca patted my leg before following her, "Rest up, kiddo."

As soon as Beca vanished, my chest heaved. Ashley. A nurse came in noticing my heart rate was quicker than usual. Every emotion I felt turned into tears, which made their way into sobs. I need Ashley.

Light blinded my vision when I woke up. Sleep occupied only six hours out of the twenty-three I'd spent in this hospital. The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes into what felt like forever as nurses in the doorway weaved in and out. That's how I measured time. On the top of each hour someone would come in to take my temperature, check the blood pressure, fix the IV. It was all so repetitive and I could think of nothing more than wanting to be back home at the Bellas house. The sooner I could leave the hospital the sooner I could start trying to forget what happened. How much of a mistake I made, and the damage I caused.

At about a quarter past eleven o'clock, I positioned myself to watch the sunrise through the crack of my door. The distant daybreak bronzed my face, radiating my skin far better than any blankets I had been given. Although I wasn't looking up, a presence was occupying the empty space in the doorway.

"Jessica Smith?" the soothe voice asked.

My gaze traveled to the sound. A female employee who I hadn't seen before was holding a worn-down clipboard, a post-it note hung on her finger.

"Yeah?" I answered, sitting up.

"You have a visitor." the woman said.

My breathing ceased, because I knew who was on the other side of that door waiting for me. Except this time there was no adrenaline in my veins, there wasn't any build up. She was here, and I knew that because there was no one else left to visit me. A nod in response sufficed and the woman briskly shuffled away. Then, she entered, standing before me. Her skin pale, her eyes tired. This was affecting her just as much as it was me.

"Jess?" Ashley winced.

I sucked in my lips, then popped them back out. It was hard to look at her in such distress. She's practically my other half, after all. When Ashley feels agony, so do I.

As much as my body could let me, I made room for Ashley to sit down. Climbing onto the empty space, she faced me. Bloodshot veins surrounded her grassy eyes. With every breath my chest seemed to sink lower and lower. This was my fault, and my heart was breaking for her.

"How bad is it?" Ashley asked.

I shrugged, "Just a broken rib. Couple of scratches here and there...could have been worse."

Ashley's gentle touch grazed over the stitching in my forehead. "Couple of scratches" was an understatement, and she could read the sugar-coating of my words. Tears began to rise at the bottom of her eyes.

"I can't believe I let this happen to you." she whispered.

Instinctively my hand reached for hers. My thumb drawing little circles around the top.

"Ash, this is my fault." I argued, "I shouldn't have tried what I did and I just should have known that-"

"Baby," Ashley sorrowfully sighed. She laid herself next to me, arms open. I surrendered onto her embrace. Her touch ever so gentle, but still secure. She didn't need anyone to tell her that I was hurt. Inside and outside, she knew me. I searched everywhere for a place to look besides Ashley's eyes. She was crying, and I knew that the second I saw those tears I would burst, too.

"I'm sorry." I choked, my windpipe dry in pain.

Ashley's hand caressed my face, her thumb brushing my cheek. She looked directly into my eyes, and that's when I had had it. The dam in my eyes broke, causing a flood down my face.

"You can't be sorry." Ashley said, shaking her head.

My breaths hiccuped as I tried to breathe, "No! I have to be sorry because Todd never would have came after you last night if it wasn't for me. I have to be sorry because you kissed me while intoxicated and I took advantage of that. I have to be sorry, okay? Because I love you and I shouldn't."

Ashley grinned, "Jess, you can't be sorry."

"Why not?" I croaked.

"Because," Ashley stared right into me, "I love you, too. Jessica, I am in love with you."

The sobs ceased and my mouth sat agape. She- she what?

When I didn't respond, Ashley continued, "I knew for years that I did. Jess, I'm sorry it took me so much time to figure it out how to let you know. Hell, you've been letting me know forever with every tiny little thing you do for me. And that kiss. God, your lips were enough."

"But you were half-drunk..." I reminded her.

She continued to grin, "Drunk does what sober wants. And what I wanted was you. Only you."

My mind pondered everything. What happened wasn't my fault, nor was it Ashley's. Both of us were desperate to have each other, but neither knew the right way to go about it. We may have went the dangerous route keeping secrets from each other, but we couldn't have stopped Todd from getting jealous. You can't help who you fall in love with. I was in love with Ashley, and she was in love with me. Hard and deep, we had fallen for each other.

Our foreheads gently rested onto each other as I grabbed Ashley's waist to pull her as close to me as possible. Both of our faces finally able to show joy. We had each other, and that's all we ever could have wanted.

"Do you remember what you told me? In our room?" I asked, my eyes locked with hers.

"This party's kind of lame?" Ashley tried.

I let out a soft giggle, "You said that I was everywhere because I always left little traces of myself wherever I go. Fingerprints."

My thumb and index finger tenderly lifted Ashley's chin ever so slightly. Ashley rose her eyebrows, eyes darted to my hand, then back to me.

"Well you're everywhere, too. Except for one place." I said.

"Where?" she whispered.

Leaning in, my lips pressed up against hers, closing the tense gap between us. Both of our eyes fell shut to feel the passionate, adorning love. After a few seconds, we separated to regain our breath. Ashley's lips hung in mid-air practically paralyzed. With eyes gleaming, I smiled at the girl who was finally mine.

I breathed, "Right there."


	4. Definitions

"Can I buy an 'E'?" she asked with her face concentrated in a pot of macaroni.

Chloe briskly flipped through the pages with her thumb, "This isn't hangman, Becs."

Putting the lid back to let the noodles cook, Beca scanned the condensed apartment. Chloe's boots lay dripping melted slush on the mat next to the front door, streamers still scattered everywhere, a half drank bottle of champagne next to Chloe's side of the bed. It's been a couple of weeks, and the brim of the alcohol had molded over from the over-exposure.

"Do dictionary roulette or something," Beca suggested, "or maybe look on your phone?"

"You know the rule." Chloe scolded.

On the kitchen table sat the brand spanking new dictionary they had bought. Chloe was big when it came to resolutions at the kick start of January. She forced Beca and Fat Amy to pick three aspects of their life that they want to work on. Chloe stuck to her words that come December, they would have accomplished all three for each girl. Beca's was originally to "stop making resolutions", but when she saw Chloe's dismay, she opted for an easier pick. Beca decided that every single day, she would learn a new word.

"Okay that's fine. You buy Siri and all she's doing is going to waste." Beca played, turning her attention back to the food.

A sigh sounded from Chloe as she fanned the pages once more. All of these words seemed so difficult to use in a sentence that even she couldn't learn them with one go. She was starting to think that maybe these "New Year's resolutions" just weren't going to happen this time around.

"Dinner's almost ready, why don't you give it a rest until after we eat?" Beca said.

"Not until we find you a word for today." Chloe responded, eyes glued to the book.

Beca groaned while dumping the shredded cheese into the pot. "Look, I love you. I really do. But are you saying we can't even feed ourselves until I learn a stupid 'word of the day'?"

"Not stupid. It's enlightening." Chloe flatly responded.

Like Beca, Chloe was hungry. Starving, even. She hadn't eaten since breakfast at 9 o'clock this morning. Upon getting Beca and Amy to begin their resolutions, she pressed herself to do the same. Since the clock struck midnight on January 1st, Chloe vowed that she would stop mindlessly snacking throughout the day. Which, for her, meant skipping lunch because Beca only would pack her snacks to take to work. The pang of hunger hung in Chloe's stomach all day long and sitting at the dinner table, the aroma of food hanging in the air, she had reached her peak. But she was determined. Chloe Beale was not a quitter.

"C'mon, Chlo. I can hear your stomach. Let's just eat and we'll come back to it later." Beca pleaded, setting the pot of finished food aside.

"Remember last week when you said you'd take the trash out to the back 'later'?" Chloe asked.

Beca bit down on her bottom lip and popped it back out, "Yeah."

Chloe looked up, eyebrow cocked, "How full is the garbage can?"

Beca threw her shoulders down and shuffled over to Chloe, "Alright, fine. Let's give this Dictionary some help."

They were searching through the "S" section, desperately trying to find any word that wasn't over-the-top and would never be said in casual conversation. Chloe's finger harshly traced vertically amongst the rows of definitions. For the past couple of days, the two girls had been chosen seemingly simple terms that most already knew. Of course, Chloe didn't want Beca's resolution to be too easy to complete. So, she urged for words that were more intricate.

"What about this one?" Beca pointed towards the bottom of the page.

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, "Superluminal?"

"Why not?" Beca said, "It says it's an astronomy term meaning 'to travel faster than the speed of light'."

"But Bec, when would you ever use that in a sentence?" Chloe snickered, "Let's choose something else."

"No, no, no!" Beca stopped Chloe from turning the page, "I can use it in plenty of sentences!"

With a hand on her head trying to piece together something to say, she paced the room. "Uh, it is said that some space ships are built to be superluminal." she tried, "Or how about when a car races past you on the interstate and you say 'Jesus, is that guy using his car to be superluminal or something?'."

Chloe's face was marked with a grin as she giggled seeing her friend really press on this word. As soon as Beca saw Chloe's reaction, her face fell flat. Her voice, riddled with hunger, grew deep as she spoke, "I really hope that this resolution is really SUPERLUMINAL because Beca is very hungry and would like to EAT now."

Chloe's eyebrows rose "Good enough for me."

Beca threw back her head and sighed with relief. Although Chloe wouldn't admit it, she's more happy to finally eat than to be searching for words.Saying nothing, Beca focused all of her attention putting the macaroni and cheese into bowls for the both of them. Meanwhile, Chloe continued to skim the dictionary, this time towards the back of the book.

"I'm really proud of you, Becs." she smirked, "But don't get too comfortable because we've got lots more words to go and 342 days left in the year."

Beca grabbed forks from the drawer and walked back over to the table, "At least we get to eat first."

Chloe's eyes caught one particular word as she scrambled through the "Y" section. Her stomach rumbled at the sight and smell of the food Beca was holding, but the Dictionary casted out its line and reeled her in.

"Yearn." Chloe said, grinning.

"What?" Beca asked.

"Yearn." Chloe repeated,this time with more passion.

Beca stood next to her and set the bowl she had made right in front of her, "Don't we all know what yearn means? Isn't that something we learn in like, middle school?"

Chloe's gaze traveled to Beca. Then she tenderly took Beca's face and pulled her down to her level, planting a soft kiss onto her cheek. Chloe looked into her eyes, beaming. Beca was taken back, but the corner of her mouth curved upright.

"I've been yearning to do that." Chloe giggled, "One resolution down, two more to go."

"Funny you should mention that because uh," Beca nervously laughed, "since you did that my, resolutions are uh..."

She paused for a moment to recollect her thoughts, Chloe's attention sitting on the edge of her seat.

Beca held a finger up, "They are commensurated to yours now."

Impressed by Beca's use of what she learned, she guided her to sit down. Both girl's cheeks flushed with rose as they enjoyed their dinner together. To the start of a new year, and what they desire to be a new relationship.


	5. What If

"Ash, you're burning up." Jessica honeyed. Her hand explored the girl's blushed cheeks for more warmth.

"What are we, the Jonas Brothers?" Ashley groggily grumbled, making her girlfriend crack a grin.

Lightning illuminated the dark room accompanied by only a lamp. Adding on, a rumble of thunder shook the walls, causing Ashley to stir. Jessica's head whipped towards the window and gazed outside, then right back to her girlfriend with a sigh. The past three days have been vomit in the toilet, dizzy spells, and hot flashes from the brunette. At the beginning of the week, Ashley had got caught in a thunderstorm ten blocks away from the Bellas house while coming back from class. That morning, Jessica had warned her that they were due for some showers the rest of the week and to take a jacket. But it was early and Ashley is not a morning person.

Having Ashley falling ill that same day, Jessica stayed at the girl's bedside. Not wanting to leave her even for a second. Putting damp washcloths to bring down her fevers, pumping calories in Ashley with her favorite pumpkin soup, and treating her to ginger ale when Jessica forced her to swallow the vile cold medicine. Ashley insisted that the blonde stop skipping her classes to attend to her virus, but Jessica wouldn't budge.

"You are far more important than any lecture, any test." she would reply while gently combing Ashley's sweaty hair with her fingers. Which, brought comfort onto Ashley, knowing she had someone who loved her as much as to risk a grade to be with her in the worst possible state.

But Jessica was growing weary. The one she loved most showed no signs of feeling better throughout her duration of being sick. Despite the amount of cold medicine Jessica had poured down her throat, nothing seemed to be helping. As the fevers began to rise, Ashley's sanity levels began to fall.

With her girlfriend handing her a cup of steaming tea, Ashley slurred, "Jessie, baby, can we go to the zoo?"

"Not until you're better." Jessica sighed.

"But-"

"No 'buts'," she gestured the cup up to Ashley's mouth, "Drink."

Ashley took one sip before quickly swallowing and sticking her tongue out to pant. She pressed the cup back to Jessica while patting her tongue with her blanket to try and soothe the pain.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Ashley gutted with her tongue still out.

After setting the mug on the nightstand next to the thermometer, Jessica's hand reached over to caress her jawline, a move that never fails to instantly calm the brunette. Ashley sighed, giving in to the gesture that she loved, staring right at the person she loved. But her mind was running amok, woozing her thoughts.

"Do you think giraffes ever burn their tongues on cups of tea that their girlfriends make them?" she huffed.

"Honey, giraffes don't drink tea." Jessica twittered in amusement at Ashley's delirium.

With widened eyes, Ashley looked directly back to the blonde, "Well we wouldn't know that for sure unless we went to the zoo now, would we?"

"Oh God," Jessica said, "C'mon, you need to try and sleep some more."

Taking her shoulders, Jessica layed Ashley back down to her pillow, draping the blanket over her arms coated in goosebumps. Mirroring her girlfriend, the two positioned themselves to face each other. Ashley's droopy eyes examined Jessica's face, causing the girl to giggle in embarrassment.

"Close your eyes." Jessica reached over and rubbed Ashley's arm.

With a raise of an eyebrow Ashley replied, "What if I don't want to?"

"You're adorable when you're dazed and confused, but you need to rest." she said with a slight squeeze of Ashley's arm.

"But-"

"I love you." Jessica butted, never breaking her smile.

Regularly, Ashley would return the words then their mouths would come crashing down on each other. It was a tactic the blonde had used when Ashley was drunk and began to ramble anxiously. But Ashley didn't reciprocate. Instead, her mouth drew back and face fell absent. Jessica's eyes pitied her before the brunette spoke up.

"What if one day you don't?" she nasally whispered.

Taken aback, Jessica paused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if one day you wake up and," Ashley paused, looking heartbroken, "you just don't love me anymore?"

"Baby, it's your fever talking-"

"What if you just decide that some tall, fit beach blonde with tons of money is better than," she gestured to herself, "stupid, sick old me."

Although Jessica knew that Ashley was disoriented, she still found herself distraught hearing the love of her life talk about a doubt in her mind to that extent.

"Why would you ever think that?" Jessica lay a soft hand on Ashley's cheek, feeling much warmer than before.

Becoming distraught, Ashley stripped the blanket off of her arms. Beads of sweat formed on her upper forehead while her breaths became faster and deeper.

Ashley groaned, "Jess, I don't feel good."

Throwing her hand back on Ashley's forehead, Jessica felt her temperature had gone up. She snatched the thermometer from the nightstand to her right and stuck it under Ashley's tongue.

"And it's not that I think you'd ever leave me," Ashley continued with a mouth full of plastic, "It's just the void of oblivion that terrifies me. Those 'what ifs'."

A shrill beep came from the thermometer and Jessica took it back to see that the fever rose to 103.5 degrees. A sigh escaped the blonde's mouth as she studied her girlfriend. Jessica would never leave Ashley. She was in love with her. More than any other past relationship, more than her family, more than anyone that she would ever come across in the entire world. Ashley is hers, and she is Ashley's. No questions asked. The ill girl just needed to fall asleep then she wouldn't overthink to make herself even more distraught. It killed Jessica to see Ashley's mind ponder this way, so she had to put an end to it.

"Look, you're more sick than you have been and your mind is all clouded from the medicine." Jessica pleaded, "You need to get some rest."

Ashley's breaths scattered from the mucus, but increased as she spoke. She was lost in her own mind, speaking from her panicked thoughts.

Not even bothering to look at Jessica anymore, she continued, "What if I wake up tomorrow morning and you're gone? What if you get tired of being around me? Or kissing me? Or loving me?"

"Ashley-"

"What if by this time next year you're gone and I'm all alone without my best friend? Without the person I love the most?" Ashley's voice cracked, and it wasn't just because she had been coughing for three days straight, "What if I lose you?"

Jessica took both of her hands to grab Ashley's face and put it directly towards hers, forcing her sick girlfriend to look her in the eyes.

"I love you, Ashley. And I will never, ever stop loving you." Jessica breathed.

Ashley's quivering lip responded, "But what if you do?"

Jessica rested her forehead onto her girlfriend's, Ashley's fever radiating her skin upon the touch. Her eyebrows scrunched in an attempt to push out the words she was hearing. The love she felt for Ashley was more than she could ever fathom. She thought, the only way to make someone conscious of a ridiculous question is to spew back the words they've been saying.

"What if I don't?" Jessica whispered, heart yearning to comfort her lover.

The girls wrapped their arms around each other pulled in as close as they could get. Both giving in to the distinct fact that they had each other's hearts. Nothing, no force in the world could ever change that between them. No amount of cold medicine, no abnormal body temperature, and especially no other person could break the bond that Jessica and Ashley had. They loved each other. And that's just it. Love wins. Always.

Still holding each other, the girls emerged from the embrace and gazed into each other's eyes. It felt secure for them, like they were home. Jessica tenderly guided Ashley's face closer to hers, but was cut off by a finger to her lips.

"What if you get sick?" Ashley worried.

Jessica never broke the grin that was on her face, "What if you're worth it?"

With that, their lips didn't linger, and passionately collided with each other. The kiss wasn't aggressive. They took their time, making the touch filled with emotion and affection. When they broke apart, Jessica knew she was going to get just as sick as the girl laying next to her was. But she couldn't be bothered to care, because Ashley would never leave her side, just as Jessica would never leave hers.


	6. Carnival

Cabin fever is real. The air had been too sticky and muggy to go outside and actually enjoy themselves. Not even a trip to the lake was possible due to the extreme temperatures. It was the peak of the season, so Jessica and Ashley expected to spend most of their days inside Jessica's childhood home. It's just that they weren't anticipating the heat wave to last as long as it did. Fans blasted around the clock, same TV show on repeat, sprawled on Jessica's old bed wearing nothing but sports bras and cutoff shorts. Ashley, being from New Jersey, wasn't used to the summer heat of Wisconsin. In the Midwest, when temperatures get high, so does the humidity, and when the humidity got high, Ashley became cranky. Jessica could see the heat affecting the mood of her girlfriend, so she did her best to keep her happy and hydrated. Meanwhile, Ashley tried her best to keep her mood from snapping, no matter how antsy the temperatures made her.

Both Jessica and Ashley were able to rejoice, however, when the weather center called for temperatures as high as only eighty-two degrees. It couldn't have been better timing, because that weekend fell on the date of the annual Lakeside Festival. Ever since the girls agreed to spend the summer in Middleton, Jessica had been on pins and needles waiting to take Ashley to experience her favorite childhood memory. Folks dressed head to toe in red, white, and blue, people went on rides, couples played games for prizes. It was a whole weekend for people to enjoy themselves and the season of sun. The festival was the summer festivities everyone who had been cooped up in their homes since May needed. Especially the couple, who grew tired of the same dead routine everyday.

In the early afternoon, the two kissed Jessica's parents goodbye and headed out for a much-needed day of summer fun. They took nothing but phones shoved in back pockets, their fingers laced into one another, and wallets, of course. Jessica drove the ten minutes to Lakeview Park, leaving the car in whatever open patch of grass they could find, as everyone else had done. Ashley peered out the window in wonder as carnival lights did their best to shine, despite the sun beating down on them. Ashley felt the touch of Jessica's hand on hers as she pressed a kiss on her knuckles.

"Happy to be out of the house?" Jessica asked.

"If I'm with you, then I'm happy." Ashley replied with a quick brush on Jessica's cheek.

Content with what was in store for the day, the two girls stepped out of the car and onto the festival grounds. Distant screams on fast rides surrounded them, kids raced past with their friends from game to game, the aroma of barbeque from a nearby stand hit upon entry. It was a typical, hot, sticky, American carnival.

Jessica gripped Ashley's hand, eager to show her everything she used to do when she was a little girl. She pointed to all of the places to get the best food, her favorite rides, the beach where they held cardboard boat races, everything she could think of. Ashley didn't pay much attention to what Jessica was saying, but rather she marveled at her girlfriend, seeing the happiness in her eyes. She imagined what an incredibly stale summer it would be if she wasn't with Jessica. Even despite Ashley's eternal heat stroke from not being used to the air, Jessica still stayed by her side. It's why she was in love with her. They felt unconditionally for each other.

Ashley's thoughts were broken when she felt her foot slip up underneath her, causing her balance to be thrown off. Jessica's grip tightened as the brunette went down onto the grass.

"Oh babe, are you okay?" Jessica asked, not letting go.

Ashley used Jessica to hoist herself up. At the bottom of her white Converse she saw a bright, yellow paste smeared across the bottom. "Yeah, I'm alright."

Behind where Ashley had fallen, the girls saw a smashed hot dog laying on the ground. An amused gasp sounded from Jessica while Ashley's face scrunched in disgust.

"Aw, man." Ashley winced. "Who drops a whole entire hot dog?"

Jessica couldn't contain her laughter and fell into a fit of giggles. The shoe was now stained yellow as Ashley trailed her foot through the grass to get the rest of the goop off.

"Still happy to be out of the house?" Jessica asked, continuing to snicker.

Seeing Jessica's smile caused Ashley to chuckle. "Just my luck, huh?"

Grabbing ahold of Ashley's hand again, Jessica pecked her cheek and led them on through to the ticket booth. They bought a bundle of fifty tickets to ride any rides and play any games until the festival closed at the end of the evening.

"The day is now officially ours." Jessica waved the tickets in her hand.

Her quirky personality caused Ashley to take and cleansing breath and smile. The day was theirs to enjoy, to relax, to spend with each other. Ashley silently reminded herself that it was only mustard, and the stain would come off eventually. She was with Jessica, and that was all she needed.

After a couple of rides, Jessica had suggested the two grab a lemonade to share. Having the owner of the stand know the Smith family, he gave the drink to the girls on the house. In return, asking for Jessica to say hi to her dad for him. They strolled through the rows of games, trying to pick out the one with the best prize. Ashley held the cup of lemonade out for Jessica, then playfully pulled away at the last second to take a sip for herself. Even before the straw reached her lips, two young boys slammed into Ashley, sending the lemonade flying onto her chest. They didn't even look back to apologize, just whizzed by with tickets in hand. Jessica shouted at them, then turned around to find Ashley with arms open staring at her drenched shirt. She snatched some napkins she had stuffed in her back pocket. Dabbing at the shirt, Ashley huffed.

"Hey, at least you're wearing grey instead of white." Jessica pointed out in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Ashley cracked a smile. She knew Jessica was right, but still wasn't thrilled about walking around with a sticky shirt all day long. Recognizing her dismay, Jessica stopped cleaning the shirt and innocently pecked both of Ashley's cheeks before giving her lips the full package. With a sigh, Ashley surrendered into Jessica's embrace before taking her hand to further their day.

They continued to walk around when something to the right caught Ashley's attention. "How about the ferris wheel? Super romantic," she suggested.

Jessica nodded and eagerly dragged Ashley by the arm to get in line for the ride. It was only a five minute wait before a scrawny high school girl at the front asked for two tickets. Ashley briefly reached into the back of her jean shorts only to find it empty.

"What the hell?" Ashley blurted.

Jessica's face scrunched, 'What's wrong, babe?"

"Did I give the tickets to you?" Ashley asked, repeatedly searching every pocket on her bottoms. The ground showed no signs of their stubs and neither did Jessica's pockets. Hearing a roar of laughter, Ashley looked up to see two boys on the other side of the guardrail, waving the tickets that were supposed to be in her jeans. The same two boys who ran into her not even ten minutes ago.

"Those little shits." Ashley gritted.

Before the brunette could get too angry, Jessica took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The ferris wheel attendant spoke up, "They've been running around stealing people's tickets all day. You guys can just go on if you'd like."

Graciously accepting the offer, Jessica and Ashley climbed into a car on the wheel and the attendant strapped them in. Jessica snuggled into Ashley, the blonde resting her hand on the other's thigh. Ashley let her head fall onto Jessica's, and the girls took in the peach-colored sky dusted with a deep lilac. The air was cooler than when they had gotten to the festival, a light breeze at the top of the ride felt amazing against their skin. Ashley was relieved to finally able to catch her breath for the first time today. But her heart felt awful, seeing how this didn't seem to be the relaxing day out it was supposed to be. Kisses aided in Ashley's uncomfortable overheating this summer, but the girl tends to beat herself up when she isn't in the best of moods. Feeling like somehow she'd ruin the fun.

Jessica gazed up and pitied Ashley, who just looked plain exhausted. She asked, "You okay?"

Ashley kissed Jessica's forehead, it was sticky from being exposed to the sunlight for so long. "I'm fine," she simply responded.

Just have gotten comfortable, a jolt in the ferris wheel flung the girls upright, rocking the seat back and forth. They peered over the railing to the bottom of the ride, showing the attendant pushing random buttons and slamming her fist down on the control box.

"I think we may be stuck up here." Jessica observed, face looking worried. Not so much as to how long they were going to be stuck at the top of the ferris wheel, but Ashley's mood was on the borderline, ready to snap at any minor inconvenience. But when Jessica looked over, Ashley wasn't flustered at all. Instead, she let loose a boisterous, roaring laugh. Jessica was hesitant to investigate if Ashley was just laughing due to fatigue. But when Jessica smirked her, causing Ashley to laugh even harder, her girlfriend joined right alongside with her. Tears of joy pooling at the bottom of both of their eyes.

"There's no way that was a coincidence," Ashley wheezed, "the universe just did not want anything to go smoothly today, did it?"

With a nod, Jessica held her stomach, wiping her eyes on her shirt. Both trying to catch their breath. It didn't take long for a maintenance employee to show up and get them down. Stepping off the seat, Ashley pulled Jessica away from the crowd of people and wrapped her arms tightly around her. Jessica gave Ashley a soft kiss on the shoulder, before resting her chin on the spot. A family breezed past with popping sparklers in hand, following a swarm of people heading for the beach across the road.

Ashley pulled away from the blonde. "I think it's about that time."

The crowd marched to the shore for the last event of the evening. But instead of following, Jessica said, "C'mon, I have an idea." and dragged Ashley to the car.

"What about the fireworks?" Ashley shouted.

"We're not going to miss it!"

The engine roared to life and Jessica peeled it out of the Lakeview parking lot. She sped down the street and entered Marshall Park, which was similar to the one the carnival was held at, but definitely not as many people. Shutting off the gas, Jessica ran out, grabbing blankets from the trunk and throwing them to Ashley.

"Where in the world are you taking me?" Ashley questioned.

Jessica took the girl's free hand and they were off again, sprinting through the grass that tickled their ankles. The relay was stopped at a tree sitting next to a bed of rocks being crashed by miniscule waves from the lake. It was quiet over on this part of town and as turns out only a few others had the same idea to watch the Fourth of July grand finale here. A family of three sat at a picnic table a little distance away from them, beaming welcoming smiles as the girls set up camp by the water. Two blankets were packed, one for them to sit on, and another to cuddle under. Jessica and Ashley's arms were around each other as close as can be, eyes casted onto the constellations above them.

The whistle of a launch sounded in the distance, both girls mapped the sky. One flash of blue, and another of red occupied the sky above them, followed by thunderous BOOM. Jessica fixed her hold on Ashley, taking a deep inhale. Faint shouts and applause were heard from the park down the street. The parents closeby pointed towards the lake and awed for their little boy to see. Ashley snapped her attention to Jessica as the fireworks continued.

Jessica didn't notice, her mouth sat agape, marveling at the wisps of sparks and illuminating red, white, and blue that littered the air above them. Ashley loved nothing more than to see joy written across Jessica's face. For both of them, this summer was destined to be one for the books. Which is hard when shoes get stained on hot dogs, heat waves forcibly put them on house arrest, and conniving little thieves steal tickets. But deep down the two knew that as long as they had each other, any season out of the year is unforgettable.

Ashley rested her forehead onto Jessica's, taking in a deep aroma of sunscreen from earlier in the day. "Thank you," she said to her.

"For what?" Jessica asked. Ashley leaned over to press a tender kiss on Jessica's cheek, her lips smacking when she pulled back.

"That," Ashley smiled, proceeding to kiss her again on her head. "And that."

Jessica squirmed with a trail of giggles as Ashley showered her with kisses. Just as the other did throughout the entire day for her. The fireworks above became more rapid as the show was coming to an end. Popping and sizzling drew Jessica and Ashley's attention to the reason they were there in the first place. The final explosion dazzled the night sky and celebration bellowed across the lake.

Ashley turned back around and brushed her lips against Jessica's. "Here's to summer."

Jessica gave her one, last, deep kiss, before her mouth wrapped in a broad smile. "Happy Fourth of July."


	7. Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Get over it, Beca. You're better than this."

It wasn’t swift like she had hoped, getting Chloe out of her mind. Nothing between them was the same anymore. Familiarity breeds comfort, that’s why it was so hard to let go. Beca sat slumped over her desk, glancing at the calendar. It was Friday. The nights that Chloe never even bothered to come home. The apartment was quiet, as if her best friend didn’t even live there anymore. Muffled car horns outside and footsteps of upstairs neighbors was all that occupied the air. It was New York, after all. The city never slept, and because she never knew where Chloe was, neither did Beca.  
Every night in for Beca was a night out for Chloe. But, it wasn’t always that way. After graduating Barden University in 2015, Beca found herself a decent paying music-producing job In Brooklyn, New York. Chloe didn’t really have a plan for herself, so she followed. The first couple of years in the city were spent by each other’s side. They didn’t have a choice, really. Both of their salaries were smooshed together for a large-ish studio apartment. That’s what they did, the two of them. Sandwiched what little they had together to create something bigger. Their budget, their clothes, and since Chloe was the only one with a bed to bring, they shared that too. Eventually, they put together their days, free-time, and their nights-in. Whatever shows Beca watched, Chloe curled up beside her and joined. They went to sleep at the exact same time, right next to each other. Despite the way Beca came across, with her cold demeanor, she loved every second of it. She loved Chloe. She was never sure if those feelings were reciprocated, but every ounce of her heart told her she did. It was about a month ago when Chloe wasn’t even really present in the apartment that Beca started to doubt her conclusion.  
TV shows became re-watched and dinners were ordered in for one. The other side of the bed was cold when Beca went to sleep, and to her dismay, freezing when she woke up. Beca wasn’t even sure if Chloe came home most nights, but was afraid of crossing a line. So, she never asked. Around five-thirty was when Chloe used to get home. Beca was two blocks away from her work, so she used to always get home before Chloe did. But now, Beca was always home before Chloe. And perhaps it wasn’t just the sheer fact that Beca didn’t feel the need to wait for her friend anymore that made her downcast, but it was the other things. The small things. It was Chloe’s bright blue eyes barging through the door asking about her day, the small kiss on the cheek before she hung her coat up, lacing her fingers into Beca’s and plopping the two of them down on the bed to relax after their 9 to 5 jobs. All of which gave Beca butterflies, as much as she’d care to admit. Beca hated herself for not being honest with Chloe about how she felt. She had all of the opportunities to tell her that she wanted to be with her always. But she took it for granted. And now it was gone.  
Sighing, Beca slid her arm out from underneath her head and glanced at the time. Seven-fifteen in the evening. There was one thing that still gave Beca some happiness, and that was the Brooklyn Bridge at sundown. Managing to pick herself up off of the chair, her feet moved one by one towards the door. She left her phone sitting on the bed, although she knew it was unsafe to walk around in the evening hours without it. Not bothered to care about who could call her. Even in the slightest chance that it could be Chloe.  
The bridge was only a five-block trek from the apartment building. Beca and Chloe had found the bridge by accident when they had just started living in the city. Originally, they were looking for a place to get dinner, but instead Chloe insisted on taking a detour to the bridge. Beca was never really a “sunset” kind of person, but she had to admit, the concoction of oranges and reds puffed with distant blue clouds were something pretty spectacular. Especially with Chloe being in awe as well. After that night, it became a weekly occurrence for them. Every Friday night they’d watch the sunset at the Brooklyn Bridge. Each time they’d go, Chloe would start to get a little closer to Beca. Touching her hands and shoulders more, linking arms as they walked. Which not only made Beca fall in love with Chloe more, but also fed into her conspiracy that Chloe was secretly in love with her, too.  
Beca had passed the spot, half a mile down the bridge. She was now way out further than the two had ever gone. She could see the entire Brooklyn skyline from where she was standing. Water splashed below and cars raced from behind. Everything fuzzed. She placed her hands on the chilled railing, looking onto the picture before her. This caused Beca to wonder: why? Why had her and Chloe never gone out this far to the bridge? There was so much more to marvel at, so much more of the sunset to see. So much more of themselves to explore. Maybe, had Chloe still gone with Beca on these evening trips, they would have been closer than they ever. One kiss. That was all Beca wanted to achieve. One real kiss with Chloe.  
Not having a conscious thought, Beca tightened her grip on the rail and swung her leg over. She straddled the barrier, her chest tightening as the gap between the bridge and the water became larger the more she leaned over for a better look. Beca didn’t have any intentions to jump. She just wanted to know what it felt like to literally be on the edge, because after all this time it had only felt so figurative and insignificant. Being in the middle wasn’t enough for her, though. So she put her other leg over the railing and used both hands behind her to keep herself from falling. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, not believing that she was physically putting herself in this position. She thought just maybe, what would happen if she just-  
“Beca!” a voice called out to her.  
Head snapping to the left towards the sound, her eyes widened. A small bob of red hair bounced in the distance as she called again, “Stop!”  
Beca now realized how bad this looked. She didn’t want to pluge herself into the East river, but her thoughts were enough to get her over that railing. Her eyes began to well up as she saw Chloe sprinting across the walkway. She wondered whether she was here by chance, or if she knew. Chloe slowed her pace at an attempt to approach Beca cautiously.  
“Beca?” Chloe choked out. “Don’t do it. Please,” she begged.  
“How did you even know I was here?” Beca pressed flatly, ignoring the original statement.  
Chloe’s breath heaved as she tried to catch her breath. “It’s Friday.”  
“So?” Beca’s tears fell on her face, taken every which-way by the force of the wind. “It was Friday for the past month and that didn’t matter to you!”  
“I know. Becs, I’m sorry,” Chloe cried, “I’m so sorry.”  
Beca tied together in her head why Chloe would even be here. Sure, it was Friday, but Chloe wasn’t around to know that she still went to the bridge at the end of every week. She suspected that leaving her phone on the bed was still not her best idea, and that could have probably been a piece to the puzzle of why she was at the bridge, looking like a jumper. But that was besides what she needed to know.  
“Why did you even bother to come here?” Beca asked.  
“Because,” Chloe seemed taken back by her own thoughts. It was obvious her mind had been tossing and turning all the way over here. She scrunched her eye shut as she spoke the words, “I love you, Beca.”  
“How do I know you’re not just saying that because I’m standing on the edge of a bridge?” Beca tried.  
“Look,” Chloe took a step forward, “It’s no secret that you like me, okay? I knew that since Barden. I started having feelings for you, too. And I didn’t know what to do with them. That’s why I ran away. I was afraid. I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. But I’m ready to admit it. Beca, please. Just get over the barrier.”  
The only thing Beca could do was stare at Chloe. The woman she loved. The woman who loved her back.  
Chloe placed herself within Beca’s reach. “Get over it, Beca. You’re better than this.”  
Beca huffed out sobs as Chloe came forward to take her hands. After shifting her toes to face the traffic-side of the bridge, Chloe grabbed Beca’s arms and dragged her over the railing. Immediately, Beca was embraced by her best friend. Chloe held onto her tightly, not giving her room to breathe. She eventually broke her grasp and carassed Beca’s cheeks, giving in to inevitable tears.  
“I wasn’t going to jump,” Beca quietly said, “I just- I don’t know what got me over that railing I guess I just-”  
Chloe’s eyes mapped Beca’s face while she searched for an explanation.  
“I guess,” Beca continued, “you were just something that made me feel everything. Then when you weren’t home anymore and I never saw you I guess I wanted to be able to feel again. Even if it wasn’t the good feelings you gave me.”  
Chloe took in a breath, “Please don’t ever scare me like that again. I know I wasn’t there then, but I’m here now. I love you, Beca.”  
Then, Chloe surprised her by leaning in, giving her the kiss she had always wanted. It didn’t last a long time, but the intimate touch lingered on Beca’s lips when they pulled apart. It wasn’t everything she wanted, but more so everything she needed. The two stood there both knowing exactly what they wanted, and now not afraid to admit it. They had become honest. Love has to be honest. Because if the craving isn’t honest, one could never believe that they are loved.


End file.
